1. Field
This disclosure generally relates to the field of gaming. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a game of chance.
2. General Background
A lottery game may include a fixed prize allocation and a progressive prize allocation. The fixed prize allocation is a constant quantity that a player knows that he or she will win if he or she has a winning number. For example, a player may know that he or she will win a prize of one hundred thousand dollars if he or she has a winning number. In addition, the player may win a progressive prize that varies. As an example, the player who has a winning number may win a fixed prize of one hundred thousand dollars in addition to a progressive prize of fifty thousand dollars in a given week. In a different week, that player may still win the fixed prize of one hundred thousand dollars, but the additional progressive prize may be only twenty thousand dollars.
Further, a lottery game may be a multiple priced lottery game. In other words, the lottery game may have a plurality of difference prices corresponding to potential prize winnings in the game. As an example, a lottery game may have three price points: a one dollar game entry, a two dollar game entry, and a three dollar game entry. Each price point has a corresponding potential fixed prize that may be won. For example, a player purchasing the one dollar game entry may win a fixed prize of one hundred thousand dollars, a player purchasing the two dollar game entry may win a fixed prize of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, and a player purchasing the three dollar game entry may win a fixed prize of one million dollars. Further, different potential portions of the progressive prize may be allotted to winners based on the price point of the tickets they purchased. As an example, the portion of the progressive prize may be the same proportion as the fixed prize when compared with the maximum fixed prize. For instance, a one dollar player has the opportunity to win a potential fixed prize of one hundred thousand dollars, which equals ten percent of the maximum fixed prize of one million dollars. Accordingly, the one dollar player may win ten percent of the progressive prize at a given time. For example, if the progressive prize in a given week is twenty thousand dollars, the player may win two thousand dollars in addition to the fixed prize of one hundred thousand dollars. The two thousand dollars is subtracted from the twenty thousand dollars to leave a remaining progressive prize of eighteen thousand dollars. However, if a three dollar player won, that player would receive the entire progressive prize of twenty thousand dollars in addition to the fixed prize of one million dollars. As a result, the progressive prize would be reset to zero.
In a multiple priced lottery game, the majority of lottery tickets are typically sold at the lower price points. Accordingly, the progressive prize typically does not reset to zero in a multiple priced lottery game. The progressive prize typically fluctuates as it goes up until a typical lower priced point player wins, moves down a relatively small amount to reflect that lower priced point win, moves up until there is another winner, etc.
A large portion of lottery games typically involve casual players. The casual player of the multiple priced lottery game will typically not see the progressive prize be reset to zero. On the contrary, the casual player observing the progressive prize once in a while will mostly likely view the progressive prize as having small variations. As a result, a large number of players may have the perception that the particular multiple priced lottery game does not have any winners. Accordingly, less players purchase the multiple priced lottery game with the progressive component.